Eco measures help wolves but not herdsmen
EFFECTIVE eco-protection measures in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has resulted not only in retrieved lush woodland and pasture but, to the dismay of herdsmen, increasing packs of wolves.
In early April over 500 sheep were killed or injured by wolves, an Urumqi local forestry official reported. It is said wolf numbers have recovered in the region due to nationwide efforts to improve the eco-environment.
Similar reports have emerged concerning wild boar in recent years in Central China’s Hubei Province and Beijing.
“We’ve proposed that the municipal forestry authority take measures, such as helping farmers hunt wolves with guns in order to enable them to effectively guard their sheep, when necessary,” said a Urumqi forestry official.
In the past, armed local farmers patrolled grazing lands to protect livestock from predatory wolf packs that used to roam the area in great numbers.
Firearms were, however, banned by the local government in the 1990s. – China Daily